Purpose
The Fund was established to provide financial and other appropriate educational assistance to unemployed UMWA coal miners and their families, as well as to the family dependents of active coal miners, to assist them in securing employment. Only those applicants who best show that they can succeed, both by completing their course of education and training and by securing good and lasting employment thereafter, will have a chance to share in the available funds.

Governance
The Fund is governed by a two-member Board of Trustees. The Chairman, who is appointed by the UMWA, is Jerry D. Jones. The BCOA-appointed Trustee is Charles S. Perkins,III. The Fund is organized under Section 302(c)(6) of the Labor Management Relations Act of 1947, as amended by, the Labor Management Cooperation Act.

Eligibility
In order to he a participant in the Fund, a miner must be unemployed or working in a job outside the coal industry paying no more than 85% of the hourly rate for the Participant's last job under the NBCWA; the miner must have been involuntarily terminated from his or her job under the NBCWA (or other approved agreement) without cause (including layoff, mine closing and work-related disability); the miner must have worked at least five years in classified employment under the NBCWA within the ten year period prior to involuntary termination of employment and  must  have worked within the 10 years preceding the miner’s application for benefits; and he or she must be available for work. The spouse or child (under age 25) of an eligible unemployed miner may also be eligible for benefits, provided he or she lives in the Participant’s household or is receiving court-ordered support.

The eligible dependents of a coal miner working under the terms of the 2002 National Bituminous Coal Wage Agreement (or other approved agreement) may also apply for benefits.

Miners receiving a pension from the UMWA 1974 Pension Plan and their dependents are not eligible for benefits.

Selection
An eligible miner or dependent is not guaranteed a benefit from the Fund, Recipients of benefits will be selected from those eligible participants and beneficiaries who apply. Grants by the Fund will he awarded based upon the recommendation of one or more selection panels. A panel will make its awards based upon information concerning the applicant, the educational, vocational or other training program the applicant wishes to attend, and the resources available to the Fund, as determined by the Trustees.

Form of Benefits
The Fund will provide payments toward tuition and limited amounts (up to $200 per year) for books and supplies. A participant is required to apply for assistance from other sources to supplement any award from the Fund. When money allows, retroactive benefits maybe paid for periods up to one semester prior to the Panel at which an application is reviewed.

Types Of Programs
The Fund will provide benefits for academic programs, vocational or technical programs. In addition, the Fund may provide for remedial training to enhance the basic skills necessary for a participant to complete an appropriate program. The Fund does not provide benefits for graduate programs, except for unemployed miners under approved circumstances. Fund benefits are paid for students who are enrolled full-time and receive benefits for the full four years.

Application
You will be required to submit a written application to the Board of Trustees. If you are eligible for benefits, your application will be submitted to a panel for review. To get blank application forms, write or call the Fund Office at the address listed below.